NEW ZEALAND TROUT AND TROUTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 36

NEW ZEALAND TROUT AND TROU TING.

SOME AUTHENTIC FACTS. (London Field.)

As considerable interest has. been aroused by the appearance at the Fisheries Exhibition of 22 trout which had been caught in New Zealand just about three months ago with rod and line by seven anglers, who were spinning with artificial minnows, 1 am tempted to write a few lines on the subject of the acclimatisation of the salmonidse in owe New Zealand waters, more especially so as I notice in the daily press very inaccurate accounts of the acclimatisation of trout and their habits. These errors should not have occurred, for the subject has been very fully entered into in. the columns of the Field, by the late Mr Francis Francis, Mr Senior, and others, and an excellent description, with details, can be read in the work published by the late Mr W H. Spackman, 8.A., of Christchurch, New Zealand, called, " Trout in New Zealand : "Where to Go and How to Catch Them," a copy of -which. I purchased, this day from Messrs Faiiow in the Strand.

My attention to pisciculture was aroused some 36 years ago by seeing some salmon ova, which Mr Buckland had sent to a gentleman in Hertfordshire, being hatched out. A few years later I saw shoals of these young salmon swimming about in a sheet of water on his property, they were in good condition, and would apparently weigh some two or three pounds. Later on, in 1874, I went to New Zealand in the ship Timaru, which carried out about 250,000 salmon ova, which, however, were not a success Sinos that • date I have been intimately acquainted with the progress of acclimatisation in New Zealand, and for many years have been president of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society. The late Mr Francis Francis wrote me that the shipment of trout ova in which he was interested came from Admiral Keppel's water near Wyconibe, or High Wycombe, and were sent to Tasmania.

Mr Spackman writes- "It appears that three lots were sent to Tasmania, which turned out aioie or leas successful. O! these Mr Francis Francis sent one from the Wyconibe, Bucks, and another from the Wey, at Alston, Hants ; and Mr Buckland sent one lot from Alreßford, on the Itcheu, Hants. From one or oilier of those sources moat of the streams in Otago (N.Z.) were stocked." In 1867 the curators of the Otago and the Canterbury Acclimatisation Societies went to Tasmania and got from the socioties there ova of trout from the above sources. They repeated their journeys for three or four years afterwards. The ova hatched out very fairly So much interest was taken in the matter that Mr Spackman ment*'ous that, " In 1870, 292 young trout were sold to private individuals at the rate of £2 per dozen mid liberated in various streams in the province."

It then becamo a colonial question, and the governments of the day look tbe matter up warmly and made annual shiprnouts of, trout and salmon, from England, Scotland, and America. In this matter they were much assisted by the advico of. Mr Francis Franois aud by, the personal energy, of the lata 6«S

James Maitlancl, of Howietoun. The shipments were prepared under the direction of the Agents general for New Zealand, who3e officers, especially Mr Kcnnaway, were most interested, and the thanks of all must be given to the New Zealand Shipping Co., whose officers had the oare of the shipments in transit. In 1885, Mr S. C. Farr came Home under the direction of the various societies, who subscribed £50 each, and were subsidised by the Government £1 for £1. He obtained some 200,000 ova, from the Tweed, near Kelso, and was very careful not to strip any fish under fifteen or twenty pounds. This was the best shipment we ever had. The ova was much larger. We hatched out a greater proportion, and had fewer weak and deformed fish.

The Waitaki Society kept several thousand of these fish till they weighed from one to two pounds, and then liberated them into the Waitati. I urged this course on our society, for I remembered my early Hertfordshire ex-

periences, and, in reply to the argument that we should lose so many in confinement, 1

always replied, " That does not matter; we shall know exactly what our losses are I wou d

prefer to turn out 1000 young salmon of 1 Jib, able to protect themselves, than 100,000 baby fish to feed their enemies." I have no doubt tbat it was one of these salmon which I got in a fisherman's shop in 1896, which he had taken

in his nets at sea, and which I sent to Mr Senior, who took it to M. Boulenger at the Natural History Museum, who pronounced it to be a true Salmo salar. We know that tbe trout are a great success, and we also know that many of our trout are

migratory, for we catch them spinning in the sea breakers at the mouths of rivers — the

fishermen catch them in their nets all along

the sea coasts. The lighthouse-keepers report seeing them in immense numbers, and if the trout, which is a slow fish compared with the salmon, can escape its enemies in the sea, liow much more easily can the salmon do so. I have referred to the fact that our trout are migratory,. My theory for their taking to the sea is that, in the end of October and beginning of November, we observe countless millions jf smelts (Retropmna Richardsoni) and whifce-

bait. (Galaxias attenuatus) coming up the rivers -to spawn; the trout live very largely on them, and at once put on condition. The spawning process over, the smelts, etc., return to sea in

February and March, and my impression :s

that the trout follow them to sea, and, finding an abundance of food in the sea, remain there j until they require to spawn, when they run ap the rivers for that purpose, and then remembering the good food, go back to sea, returning again in the spring to accompany the smelts and whitebait. The smelts, etc., only travel

about 20 miles up the rivers, which may ac-

ccunt for the iroiit refusing to take the fly near the sea,, but why they refuse to take the fly in the big lakes is a problem yet to be solved. In all the rivers and streams trout take ily freely. I have on more than" one occasion filled my basket, tising Ronald's red spinner, blue

dun, and HoJfland's fancy, when my minnow-

flogging friends returned with empty baskets. , It would be difficult to give a list of flies suitable for all parts of New Zealand, for different flies suit different waters, but besides those

above mentioned, the March brown, upbright, Hardy's favourite, black and quill gnat

are all useful. The minnows used are prin- , cipally Devons and phantoms, pearl shell and other shells. You can see every conceivable form of artificial minnow used. I once saw a I man fishing with the handle of an old white i bone knife, which he had rigged up with spm- | ners and triangles. i As to the size of the trout, the largest I hax'G taken on the fly was 81b. I have got another 71b, and several 51b to 61b. Reliable friends | have assured me that they have taken t«-out j 91b and 101b on the bare- fly. I mention bare fly because it is not an unusual practice an some parts to put on a gentle to the fly, which is to my mind an abominable practico, and savours much of poaching. The largest fish 1 have killed with minnow was 161b, but I nave seen measured and weighed one of 221b, caught in the Waitaki by my friend, Mr Henry Aitken, at present mayor of' Oaznaru. Mr Spackraati refers to a trout weighing 281b, which had oe?a poached out of Butel's Creek in 1882, and as i trout were first put there in 1874 this trout must have grown at the annual rate of~3£lb. Mr Spackman also states that two trout were shot in Lake Heron weighing ''41b each, he adds that in that lake they use torch and spear. "In 18S7 one man obtained 112 fish, weigh-a ing over 7cwt, which he salted down, but ih 'y went bad, and he fed his pigs on them, with the result -that every pig died — verdict of the jury : served him right." A few remarks about the trout which were recently on exhibition Daay bring my rather long '■ few lines " to a close. They arrived in excellent condition; the largest on being weighed was 131b, and is now being stuffed by Messrs Hardy The others have been distributed in various directions, and many have been

eaten. I am assured in all quarters that the flavour was excellent, and 1 can vouch that the one I ate was quite as good and fresh as the day it was caught. On previous occasions friends have complained that the flavour had quite gone, then the fish were frozen dry and air allowed access to them. On this occasion the fish were frozen in watertight boxes, a layer of fisli just covered with water and frozen solid, and then another layer of fish and water, until the whole was in a solid mass, to which there was no access of air. In fact, the trout were thoroughly sterilised. Bacteria could not get at them. The authorities at the aquarium were most kind, and afforded me every assistance. Mr Bitchie was most courteous, and Mr Shrubsole most energetic in making arrangements for the reception and care of the fish in this somewhat novel experiment. Harry A. db Lautottr, Late President Waitaki and Wairnate Acclimatisation Sociecy. P.S. — I had forgotten to mention that the fishing in New Zealand is free. The only thing necessary is the possession of a£l license, which will carry the bearer all over the waters in the colony. It is, however,- advisable for the traveller to call on the officials of the society in the various districts when going through them and have his license endorsed. We like to know of the presence of visitors, and give all the information in our power, besides that, strangers are apt to be stopped, for the holder of a license is " ipso facto a ranger, and has power to compel anyone fishing to produce his license.